Merry Christmas !!!

Tomorrow is Christmas Eve....my favorite day of the year. It's been a busy few weeks with wrapping up projects:  a T-Shirt Memory Quilt for a customer referred to me by Santa Anna Quilter's Path; a red-work quilt for a friend, JoAnn in Midland; the Rolling Star for friend/relative, Mary Lee in Mansfield; and the Butterfly Blocks for Helen in Coleman......see "Then & Now" for details.

Last week, our local quilting guild, The Happy Creative Stitchers, celebrated our Chritmas with a luncheon and gift exchange.  Here is a photo of our group.  I really enjoy all these ladies and have learned so much by meeting with them once a week for the last year and a half.

Frenchy and the Sewing Room are on vacation for the next few days, but I have many plans for 2012.   I'm hoping to have a Sister Visit in January, so we can work on some projects together. 

So, enjoy your holidays; see you in 2012!

December 11

Well, I'm gonna go out on a limb here and say.....Frenchy seems be doing MUCH BETTER!!!  I've stayed busy all week finishing up quilts:  I delivered one in person on Friday night, put another in the mail last Thursday, and completed one for a granddaughter today.  I've been re-arranging my sewing room; now I have all my pretty thread spools and cones out where I can admire them along side all my fabric stash.  It's like opening a new box of crayolas!

December

Frenchy has continued to give me problems with thread breakage.  I started a project a couple of weeks ago....a serious project for a paying customer....and just minutes into it, the thread broke.  I started again, and the thread broke....this went on for 2 more tries.  I stopped and called my local tech.  She was empathetic, came over to look at the machine, and then when the thread broke for her after readjusting the tension, she offered to have me use her machine until we can resolve the problem...AI GAIN!  So, the next day I loaded up the quilt and my threads and notions and off we went.  The quilt was finished in about 3 hours.  I expressed my concern that Frenchy has a gremlin or is a Lemon!    In response the next level up...Sales Manager, came last week.  After she worked with the machine and nothing significant happened, she offered that perhaps the tension adjustment should be replaced.  A new one was in the mail and arrived within 2 days (on a Friday and we were out of town).  The new part was put on last Monday.  Since then I have completed 3 quilts....and no problems.    I am reassured by both HandiQuilter reps that their goal is to have all customers satisfied and that most 'lemons' (of which there have been few) have internal issues, not thread breaks; so maybe the problem is fixed!   I have another quilt loaded and ready to work on it tomorrow with more waiting in the wings.  Only time will tell.

San Saba Arts & Antiques Show

I attended the Arts & Antiques Show in San Saba last weekend......and it was a successful experience for me.  I arrived in San Saba on Friday evening just in time to unload and set up for Saturday morning.  I met my friends, Kay Mitchell and Kathy Andrews, and we all stayed at Burnham's Lodge located on the square.  It was a pleasant surprise.....a store front converted into individual guest rooms with private baths and a community kitchen.  After we got set up at the Civic Center, we three met at the room and unpacked; then we drove around town to see what there was to see.  It's a nice little town with a nostalgic square and shops all around it.  We found the local liquor store and had a cocktail before bedtime. 

The show was scheduled for Saturday from 10 - 6 and Sunday from 11 - 4.  The first day I sold 4 quilts, and I made a number of contacts for future projects.  We had dinner at a local Mexican Restaruant, called Pepperbelly's, located just a few doors down from our lodging.  Afterwards we made a shopping trip to Alco and Kathy purchased a game called "LCR".  When we got back to the 'hotel', we asked 3 other ladies if they wanted to play a game, and we settled in at the community kitchen table for a few hours of "LCR" fun and laughter. 

Sunday wasn't as prosperous for quilt sales, but again, I made several contacts and passed out at least half of my business cards.   We started closing up a little early because the traffic thinned out about 3PM.  I was ready to head home right at 4PM, picked up Spanky in Brownwood and arrived home by 6PM. 

This was a fun experience and worth all the preparation.  Since I've arrived back home, I've gotten one call from a lady I met in San Saba who wants to make several "Memory" throw quilts for her children from her late Mother's fabric stash.  These are scheduled for January 2012; I have 4 commission projects due for completion before Christmas.

Here is a picture of me at my booth in San Saba......

November

I spent today getting prepared to attend an Arts & Antiques Show in San Saba this weekend.  I have 20 quilted pieces.....bed quilts, lap throws, wall hangings, pet pallets, and doll quilts....ready to price and pack.  I've asked for 2 tables at this event, and I'm taking 2 screens to put behind my tables so I can hang some items on them.  I'm getting excited about showing my work and getting my business cards out to the public.  I'm also taking a 'portfolio' with examples of  finishing other peoples' projects, which is my ultimate goal:  Getting Grandma's quilts back in circulation!

Updates next week on my experience.

October!!!....What a Month; and it's only half over!

Fiesta de La Paloma, Coleman's annual fair, was held the first weekend in October.  We went out of town, and I was unable to attend; but I sent three quilts for entry in three different categories of the Quilting competition.  I was surprised to learn the following Monday that my three quilts won three blue ribbons, and, an even better surprise, Kwik Krazy won Best of Show!!!  How great is that???

 Kwik Krazy wins Best of Show.....Also won First Place for Hand Pieced/Machine Quilted.

My Sister's Green Garden won First Place for Machine Pieced/Machine Quilted...

Pretty in Pink Polka Dots won First Place for Baby Quilts......

It seems like time continues to elude me.  I stay busy on a number of civic-related projects, but I'm still preparing to attend an Arts & Antiques Show in San Saba on November 5 & 6.  I finished 3 quilted projects last week; 2 are ready for binding this week; and 2 more need to be quilted before the end of the month.

I have a Red/White/Blue Star Pattern Quilt to finish for a Veteran's Day Raffle and 3 more projects for family & friends.  Today I got a call to quilt a T-shirt quilt top for a Christmas gift. This might really become a business!?!

It's Not My Fault!

Frenchy is back home....waiting in the foyer to be carried back upstairs and put back into use.  I have about 10 projects stacked up with backing and batting........ ready and waiting for quilting.  They say "Timing is Everything".......I've been super busy with city-related projects that have taken up a big portion of my time, so this little 'break' (no pun intended) has been timely in that I don't feel guilty for not getting these projects done quicker.  It's NOT my fault!!!